Along with emerging metaverse concepts, there is growing demand for equipment for package IC and HPC (high-performance computing) chips, as well as bonding mini/microLED chips, according to executive vice president Chong Chan-pin for Singapore-based semiconductor packaging equipment supplier Kulicke & Soffa Industries (K&S).
IC test solutions providers including Chunghwa Precision Test Tech (CHPT), MPI and WinWay Technology have seen a strong influx of probe card and final-test socket orders for HPC processors, which will boost their revenues starting June, according to industry sources.
TSMC's CoWoS-L is the latest CoWoS process variant, and is expected to kick off commercial production in 2023-2024, according to industry sources. The offering is designed to target AI-specific training chips.
China, the world's leading consumer of semiconductors, is undergoing a third semiconductor shift in tandem with the development of 5G, consumer electronics, and AI. Owing to the shift of the semiconductor industry – growing downstream demand, and strong support from the government, China's IC design industry has grown rapidly in recent years.
Amid the competition to woo fab investments between India's local governments, the discussion between the Vedanta-Foxconn JV with the Karnataka government, currently the leading state in attracting semiconductor investments, is hitting a roadblock over incentives, according to a media report from India. Foxconn said the chip project location is still under negotiation.
Renesas Electronics has announced plans to reopen its Kofu factory located in Kai City, Yamanashi Prefecture as a 300mm wafer fab capable of manufacturing power semiconductors. The facility was closed in October 2014.
Six-inch IC foundries, such as Mosel Vitelic and Nuvoton Technology, continue to run their fabs at full capacity utilization despite a recent slowdown in orders for LCD driver chips and other consumer ICs, according to industry sources.
China's top foundry Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp (SMIC) has estimated the Shanghai lockdown could reduce its production by 5% in the second quarter, while another major foundry Hua Hong Semiconductor has expressed optimism about second-quarter revenue gains.
Dagang NeXchange Berhad (DNeX) and Big Innovation Holdings (BIH), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hon Hai Precision Industry (Foxconn), plan to set up a joint venture company to build and operate a new 12-inch wafer fabrication plant in Malaysia.
Fab toolmaker All Ring Tech has landed significant orders from chipmakers, such as TSMC and ASE Technology, which have stepped up their advanced packaging capacity expansions, according to industry sources.
Taiwan-based industrial PC makers have moved to adjust their inventory levels amid the easing of chip and component shortages, according to industry sources.
Ofuna Technology has enjoyed a strong pull-in of orders from ABF substrate suppliers looking to carry out their capacity expansion projects, according to the Taiwan-based company specializing in mechanical drilling services and metal cutting equipment.
Wireless telecommunications has escaped the worst effects of the semiconductor shortage, and that semiconductors for cellular infrastructure equipment will continue to dodge significant shortages going forward. In addition, availability of chips for Wi-Fi access points and cellular phones will continue to improve through 2023, Strategy Analytics said in its recent report.
International IDMs including Infineon and STMicroelectronics continue stepping up production of automotive, industrial control and networking chips to meet ever-rising demand, outsourcing more backend operations for such chip solutions to partners in Taiwan, according to industry sources.
China-based pure-play foundry Semiconductor Manufacturing International (SMIC) has reported first-quater 2022 sales, but omitted a revenue breakdown by manufacturing process nodes as it had usually disclosed previously.
Taiwan's first-tier IC design houses Novatek Microelectronics and Realtek Semiconductor are seeking more capacity support from foundry partners TSMC and UMC to fulfill new orders from new clients that are bolstering their growth despite a decline in demand for consumer chips, according to industry sources.
In 1984, Intel decided to exit the DRAM business, which marked the start of technology diversion between memories and logic IC. In hindsight, Intel's decision made sense. Memories and logic IC are very different in terms of design, manufacturing processes, equipment deployment, and market characteristics. It is common sense that a company should focus on pursuing excellence in one specific direction.
Optimistic about getting approval under India's chip incentive scheme, Vedanta has started to find customers before building its chip plant, while Ather Energy, one of the few electric two-wheeler vendors not caught in recent fire incidents in India, has received India's government funding.
The global semiconductor shortages have surfaced as early as 2019 when the US government imposed a ban on Huawei's products. The COVID-19 pandemic starting in 2020 exacerbated the problem as manufacturers have to suspend operations now and then during the peaks of infections.
Even though the Indian government has yet to announce the final list eligible for the US$10 billion incentive scheme for the semiconductor and display fabs, applicants have started looking for customers.
Shanghai-based analog chips foundry GTA Semiconductor has stepped up purchases from Naura Technology, ACM Research and other China-based semiconductor equipment makers to carry out its second-phase investment project in Lingang Special Area in the Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone.
When the memory industry can no longer leverage Moore's Law to create new value, it has to find new technologies to establish a new business model that can create new economic value.
Taiwan-based uPI Semiconductor, an Asustek Computer affiliate specializing in power management ICs, saw its net profits surge 135% on year to NT$401 million (US$13.4 million) in the first quarter of 2022. EPS for the quarter came to NT$5.20.
